Jason

I have an anecdote; I received an email from a family member of a person who had died in prison from heat stroke in Texas. The incarcerated person was forced to do work; they had no choice. Again, it’s exposure and lack of autonomy, and no way of measuring the exposure. The family member was very worried about potential retribution. The emails fizzled out as the responder was freaked out and scared.  

It’s terrifying to be at the whim of the state and be forced into that position.  We have to figure out how to measure exposures across our studies, to help individuals, families, and for survival. If you are incarcerated it shouldn’t mean that you aren’t treated right. We should not brutalize people while they’re there. You can judge a society by the way it treats its prisoners.

Emma

If you have good labor conditions you will always have a better community. Contract workers are a form of incarceration. Incarcerated folks are forced to work, they have no choice. 

There are some companies that can give you benefits and then there are some that give you nothing, keep you isolated. People get sick and are still forced to go to work. It's like being enslaved and they are also put in the same conditions as some prisoners because of the contract that they signed.

Jason

I have a hard time thinking that the system and its exploitation is not manufactured. Why are we putting people in these situations for that to happen? The contracting mess is robbing people of their agency. 

These countries cannot afford that burden of a worker coming back with kidney disease. There are way too many holes in that one. (Reference: Workers coming into wealthy Middle Eastern countries from poorer Himalayan countries to find work and returning very ill after they can no longer work.)

It's so exploitative and people that benefit from it are ones who usually sit at their desk, the drivers who put them in that position. It makes you wonder why they do that to them. E.g., subcontractors benefiting and helping out the sugarcane mill while ensuring their own security. Contracting messes everything up.

Kate

The border enables the taking advantage of migrant workers. Contract workers are often taken advantage of. I’m interested in how the guest worker can be better taken care of. H2A is supplying a lot of labor and getting them from the southern countries, and saying we will give them great working conditions as long as they abide by certain rules. Making sure that they get the right amount of rest and breaks. It's hard to fight solutions as the contracting is a struggle to work around.

Jason

Yes. However, H2A has the potential to be managed in a much better way.